Wesley Chapel man killed in I-75 crash in Pasco

WESLEY CHAPEL — One man died and two other people, including a 3-year-old girl, were airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries Tuesday morning after a crash between a Hyundai sedan and a dump truck on I-75.

About 10:42 a.m., John Porter, 61, drove the Hyundai south on the interstate just south of the State Road 56 exit. Mary Porter, 58, and their granddaughter, Natalia Gracie Muncy, were passengers, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. At the same time, the truck driven by Cristobal Cepero, 49, of Tampa merged onto the interstate in a construction zone.

The car slammed into the back of the truck, ricocheting onto the road's inside shoulder, the patrol reported.

The people in the car, all from Wesley Chapel, were airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital. John Porter was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m., the report states. Mary Porter and Natalia were listed in serious condition at the hospital. Cepero escaped injury.

Southbound lanes of I-75 reopened at 12:45 p.m. FHP is investigating to determine who might be cited.